


A Play Pretend Letter

by RayneyDreams



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: (No injuries just an empty threat), 19th century London, Knives, M/M, Phantom Thief AU, alcohol mention, this ended up very gay like it was supposed to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 06:05:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19267318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RayneyDreams/pseuds/RayneyDreams
Summary: 19th century London is in uproar as a mysterious criminal dubbing himself a “phantom thief” causes mayhem midst the upper realms of society. The only one powerful enough to compete as his nemesis is Saihara Shuichi, a diligent detective working for Scotland Yard. Yet, throughout the countless cases in which the thief and the detective encountered each other, feelings developed that prove to be quite troublesome due to their status. Someday, Saihara receives a strange letter that invites him to spend a day far away from all obligations - pretending to be an ordinary young man meeting another, acting as if for one day, they weren’t thief and detective.My contribution for the 2nd day of Oumasai Week! I chose AU instead of Talentswap and the Phantom Thief AU is just so fun.





	A Play Pretend Letter

It wasn’t far away. If it were to his liking, Kokichi could easily stroll outside into the fresh summer air and deliver it by hand. No address needed, no name attached - it was far too obvious who the addressor was judging by the elegant calling card hidden inside the envelope. Nonetheless, he had decided to do this in the proper way once in his life… or rather, what common folk used to call the proper, adequate way anyway.

Kokichi took a deep breath, swiped a stray strand of hair from his forehead and lifted the large metal spoon from above the flame. The molten wax’s significant smell crept into his nose as he carefully poured the thick, red liquid on top of the envelope's lid. Soon, the trickle formed a small pool. Metal clinked as he put away the equipment and quickly grabbed the stamp to finally press it onto the cooling wax. He let out a heavy exhale.

Alright. Everything was in place. A free day for the both of them, a chosen location to meet and a nervously beating heart in his chest that almost dared to swallow him whole before he could bring away the mail. Yet just as soon as the feelings had bubbled up in his stomach and dared to spill out his throat like black ink, the letter had been taken away by the mailman and was on its way to reach someone very special. Someone… really important.

Was that what he would call him? _Hooey_! Kokichi was above cheesy nonsense like that. It was just that the thought of having a rendezvous with the detective who was constantly hot on his trail and made his heart race faster in excitement than anything else, was leaving him a little… restless. That was it! Of course, his veiled intention was another battle of wits. The letter didn’t carry an address, so Shuichi could only reject him by not showing up or accept and make his heart leap out of his chest!

Yes, he was aware he was very gay. Lying to yourself about your own feelings was the worst thing anyone could ever do. _At least I’m honest about being a liar!_ Needless to say, he still lied to his subordinates about having important business to attend to that day. They had certainly noticed his infatuation with the detective, it was painfully obvious to his loyal goons. But outright telling them that he intended to meet up with his nemesis in secret would worry them way too much. What if it influenced the quality of their work? What if they got cocky? No way did he have the nerve to deal with such audacity.

The bustling of London’s busy city streets built a white noise that was slightly above his comfort zone. Usually, he would have considered it calming. But now he jumped at every car zooming by, the puffy dresses of rich women brushing past his legs and another newspaper boy almost crashing into him on his rusty bike, yelling a half-hearted apology.

“I’ll cut his hands off next time if he ditches me…”, he cursed under his breath while letting out his frustrations on the sleeve of his white dress shirt. Why was he wearing this anyways? He was getting anxious. Aside from his trusty knife, he was so vulnerable right now. This was Shuichi’s prime chance to arrest him, no questions asked – one wrong step and he was mincemeat. He was sure they had made a connection. Every time Shuichi chased after him he could feel it burning hot like a flame inside of him, but what if the feeling wasn’t mutual? What if-

“Ouma-kun!”

“Eh?”

Kokichi spun on his heels and was stunned speechless. Before him stood his rendezvous – more than a head taller, his raven hair glistening golden in the sunlight and his mouth agape in soft surprise. The detective quickly glanced aside, self-conscious of his apparent burst of emotion. His embarrassment painted an endearing shade of red on his cheeks.

“Are you surprised? Nishishi… wow, did Saihara-chan really expect me to ditch him? How dare you make baseless assumptions like that, I'm so upset!”, He childishly scolded him, jabbed a finger at his chest and puffed his cheeks. Shuichi stood there baffled as he watched him, before he sighed in relief. To Kokichi’s surprise, a light-hearted chuckle broke past the detective’s lips.

“Sorry… I just, ah… thought there was going to be a catch? Maybe that was why you caught me off-guard. Although…”

Shuichi cupped his chin in thought. “If we’re going to do this, then you’ll have plenty of time to trick me, don’t you?”

“Booo! Five points off Saihara-chan!” Shuichi blinked at him in confusion, before realisation seemed to settle as he lowered his hand. Kokichi threw his arms behind his head and shot him his playful signature smile as he continued: “Besides, what are you talking about, hm? I thought Saihara-chan wanted to meet because we were going to spend the day together. Y’know, us, on our day off, surrounded by stupid plebs while we’re plotting to overthrow Buckingham palace... I’ve been _itching_ for an associate in the local police force.”

“Ah, is that what this is about? Ouma-kun, I told you already there’s no way-“

“Lalalalaaa, I can’t hear yooouuu!” Kokichi pressed his hands on his ears and furiously shook his head. His eyes were squeezed tight to shut him off, though only a second later, he used one to peek at Shuichi. “Are you gonna take me out for breakfast or what?”

Shuichi weakly replied, supposedly a little awkward: “Well, I guess so…” But then he realised that his lack of decisiveness would probably upset the other. “I mean, yes, I’d like to. If it’s what you want, of course. Also, um…”

Kokichi curiously cocked his head when the other hesitated. With a swift gesture of his hand, he encouraged him to go on. Shuichi’s voice sounded quiet but chimed like bewitching bells in his ears.

“You… look very nice.”

Kokichi gaped. _Oh._ So, it had paid off to dress up a little. Nothing too formal of course, he was already overdressing on the various splendid events he attended – ones he could only access through the back door and with questionable motives in mind – but this was different. Mildly casual, yet neat and charming. Wasn’t the loose bow around his collar a little too extra? Whatever, if it worked.

“I am offended. Are you insulting my taste? I think Saihara-chan doesn’t appreciate the rest of my wardrobe”, he yapped and spun on his heels to start walking ahead, with his nose held high and his chest puffed out. _Relax. He’s way more awkward than you are, what are you getting so worked up about?_

“W-wait!” Shuichi let out an upset whine and struggled to catch up to him. “You know what I mean, Ouma-kun! It’s just that…” He slowed down once they were walking alongside each other, passing countless citizens and shop displays stuffed with everything ranging from pompous plumed hats to sugary cream cakes. “You… look a little more like yourself today. I guess I was trying to say it suits you”, Shuichi trailed off and pretended that the bell tower in the distance was a sight he had never seen before. It irked Kokichi. Wasn’t he going to pay attention? _Geez._

“…mmh. Shumai says that, but I can see he spent time in front of the mirror today.” Kokichi leaned forward to gaze at him as he walked and teased: “Did you pass on reading your newspaper like a retiree just to doll yourself up?”

Shuichi sputtered and vehemently shook his head in denial, which was all the answer he needed.

A small bell chimed above their heads as they reached one of the less famous cafes in town. Small, yet cosy, not too pricey and filled with its own characteristic atmosphere. The waitress was a middle age woman with pinned-up hair and a smile on her face that spoke both of hard work and a secret calling. The air faintly smelled like flowers, freshly baked bread and coffee.

“Welcome to Dahlia’s Daily Treats! Please choose a seat that is to your liking, I will be there in just a moment.”

Kokichi had replied to her formal greeting with plastic gratitude and a stuck up: “Oh, merci beaucoup mademoiselle!” that gave Shuichi a hard time not to snort. Of course, the famous phantom thief himself chose the table hidden in a small corner, next to one of the scrubbed clean panorama windows. Kokichi plopped onto his seat with a satisfied sigh, before he leaned closer to Shuichi over the table and cupped his mouth with one hand to whisper to him.

“Do you think she knows I’m wearing a boa constrictor under my clothes? I was told English folk is afraid of reptile associates.”

“I think you might be better off with a dog. Perhaps… a small, snappy one that doesn’t bite?”, Shuichi suggested with a coy smile that left Kokichi utterly offended.

“Don’t tell me my beloved detective is comparing me to a _dog_.”

“I didn’t say that at all! I just thought… maybe a dog would be nice to have around?”, Shuichi laughed, yet it wouldn’t soothe the thief, since he was obviously more of a cat person. Kokichi was about to declare just that, when the waitress approached them much more quickly than he had anticipated. Wow, she really stuck to her word of getting there in _just_ a moment? _The irony!_

“May I take the gentlemen’s order for a drink or might you need another moment?”

“Um, obviously-“

“I’ll take a coffee. Ah, a black one, without milk and sugar”, Shuichi quickly cut him off before Kokichi could say anything offensive. “What sort of tea do you offer?”

“Earl grey, breakfast, strawberry, orange, vanilla rooibos and peppermint, sir. We also just received a new delivery of our exclusive special blend from Asia – a green one, for that matter.”

“I’d like strawberry then, thank you. That’s all we want for now.”

“Alright.”

Shuichi turned back to look at Kokichi with a smile, who gave him a dumbfounded stare.

“You’re not serious, are you?”, Kokichi blurted without thinking and Shuichi turned a little red. The question seemingly caused him to grow flustered.

“Um… sorry. I just thought you’d like strawberry the most. You said you enjoy tea, so...”

“Ugh, idiot. I mean, did you seriously just order straight black coffee? I guess Saihara-chan is looking for a way to kill himself before I get the chance. Very clever! …just kidding.” Kokichi rested his chin on his palm and showed him his white teeth in a grin. “I would’ve picked black tea, but I guess I’m stuck with your sweet tooth now.”

“You’re one to talk…” Shuichi’s words were uttered under his breath and barely reached Kokichi’s ears.

They bickered and teased and laughed and complained… after a while, the food they had ordered later on arrived and they were indulging in a hearty breakfast. Only the quiet clinking of cutlery and plates filled the comfortable silence that settled over their heads. Kokichi rarely found himself content being quiet, yet both of them seemed to share the sentiment. It felt strangely… domestic. They were sharing tea, Kokichi sometimes stole food from his plate although he had plenty of his own and both curiously watched the passerby through the window pane. Kokichi felt warm, full and refreshed and realised that maybe he had been far more stressed than he thought. Or maybe it was just _that_ relaxing to be in Shuichi’s presence.

Kokichi observed him as Shuichi’s eyes fluttered shut while he took a sip of his sweet tea. Black, long lashes stood beautifully against his pale skin and Kokichi caught himself staring for a while as he took in the other’s elegant features. His chin and jaw were sharp, but still held a certain softness. The dark strands of his hair framed his expression perfectly like a painted portrait. Kokichi’s breath hitched. They had been close so many times before, but never like this. Usually, it was whenever Shuichi tried to retrieve a stolen treasure from the thief, who only drew the knife in his pocket within the last second. It was a silvery, sharp blade that built a wall between them during their final showdowns – and yet, it was their safety line that offered them an excuse to talk briefly after each night they played cat and mouse, before the thief disappeared into the darkness.

However… now, this felt so very different. Kokichi’s features went slack as he stared at him in dazzled awe. Lightning struck him when Shuichi opened his eyes and their gazes connected as if he had felt him watching. Neither of them looked away. Shuichi set down the cup of tea in his hand with grace and finally opened his mouth.

“I’ve been wondering… where have you been lately? I was… worried.” _Worried?_ “You’ve never been gone for so long. Did something happen, Ouma-kun?”

 _Yes._ “Eeehhh, where did that come from… am I not allowed to visit my hometown once in a while?” He had no desire to go back to Paris. Maybe he had just been running from his feelings. “I know you wouldn’t get it, but even vile criminals like me get homesick.” But lying to oneself about one’s own feelings was the worst… so now he was here.

“That’s a lie, isn’t it?”, sharp as always, the detective spoke. “You don’t have to tell me if it’s too personal. But if something is on your mind, then…”, Shuichi paused and considered his words carefully.

“I don’t have anything to hold against you once a case is closed. You know where I live, too. I look at my mail daily because of work.” The detective cleared his throat as he recalled the request in Kokichi’s letter. The one that had brought them here.

_‘If you’d like… I want to play with you. Let’s play together for a day. Pretend to be what we aren’t… are you up to the challenge, Mister Detective…? Or are you so infatuated with your work that you won’t pretend to be ordinary with me for a day?’_

“Tsk tsk!” Kokichi outstretched a hand and waddled his index finger in front of Shuichi’s face as if to lecture him. “Stick to the rules! We’re playing a game, _my_ game.” He brought said finger to his lips and murmured with mischief. “By coming here, you agreed to this. I’ll up and leave if you dare to go back on our contract once more, nishishi…”

Shuichi opened his mouth to talk back but bit his lip instead. _Gotcha_. The other looked rueful as if he could barely contain himself. But with Shuichi’s patience and self-control, he let it go and tried another approach instead.

“Alright, then… let’s try something else. How has your week been?”

Kokichi usually abhorred small talk, since it was painfully plain and boring. However, for the sake of the situation he played along this once. The result was far more pleasant than he anticipated. They ordered another can of tea, talked about this and that, briefly discussed politics and somehow ended up talking about the universe. Despite being a police officer and officially Shuichi’s partner, Kaito was aiming to become an astronomer in his free time and his theories were both absurd and brilliant like a star. So brilliant, even Kokichi had visited one of his lectures and listened with intrigue, although he of course would never admit that in front of Kaito.

Time passed. Saihara paid their bill with a sigh, Kokichi gave the waitress a dramatic goodbye. They wandered the streets and talked the time into nothingness, letting the warm sunlight embrace them shining down from the bright blue sky. The Thames’ odd smell was a small worry compared to the fun they enjoyed as Kokichi skipped from post to post on the stone railing, almost giving Shuichi a heart attack when he pretended to fall. Such a worrywart, wasn’t he?

“Ah…”

When there feet had carried them a long way back into the depths of the city, Shuichi suddenly came to a halt in one of the small alleyways. Kokichi barely avoided straight up bumping into another person who spat an insult at him that he swiftly brushed off along with some dust on his shoulder. When he turned to look at what Shuichi was gawking at, he read the sign above the entrance: “Wiltshire’s Cauldron of Literacy Witchcraft”. He had never heard that title before, but the way Shuichi’s eyes lit up told him he was the only one.

“It can’t be! I thought they were closed indefinitely!” Shuichi vaguely raised his hands in surprise and one soon clutched at his chest in excitement. “Ouma-kun, we have to- U-uh…”

Kokichi sneered at him and was about to open his mouth to speak-

“W-whatever, let’s go!” Shuichi grabbed Kokichi’s wrist in a hurry to pull him out of the dark alleyway and pretend like nothing happened, yet got forcefully yanked back by his arm. “Augh!”

“Nope, not happening! Show me how much of a fanatic you are, Saihara-chan!”

Shuichi hadn’t expected that much strength coming from Kokichi’s meagre body and stumbled. He barely caught his balance and prevented his fall before he already found himself getting dragged into the bookstore. All determination to fight back vanished once he spotted the walls, the tables, the endless arrangement of shelves covered in old books. Kokichi cackled and mocked that his eyes were going to pop out if he kept gawking like that, but Shuichi was already caught in his element. Rushing down the corridor, his eyes greedily took in the titles with the awe of a child that had only now discovered the magic of books.

 _Magic._ Their taste in literature was probably vastly different and yet… that innocent spark in Shuichi’s golden eyes was enchanting on its own.

“Incredible… how old do you think these are? I’ve never heard of some of these before…”

“I published them myself just yesterday, so- ouch!”, Kokichi yelped when he received a firm elbow to his side. To avenge himself, he started bothering Shuichi whenever he had found a particularly interesting book. Whether it was by clinging to his arm or draping himself over his back to peer over his shoulder, commenting on his _bad_ taste and the like, he didn’t stop his complaints. Only when Shuichi reached sections that caught his eye as well, Kokichi realised that maybe, their taste wasn’t that different. He personally favoured informative books conveying all sorts of colourful knowledge, but he also fancied the occasional convoluted mystery novel. Comedy was an all time favourite, but he considered himself far more of a qualified comedian.

“I’m… I think I’m finished!”, Shuichi proclaimed with determination as he stood in front of a stack of books in all sorts of colours, from brand new to what felt like centuries old. With scepticism, Kokichi raised a brow and gestured at the row of books.

“You really wanna carry all of that home today? You know I’m not gonna help you, right?”

And so, Shuichi only left with three books and asked the cashier if he could stash away his other choices until the next day. That was the only solace and opportunity to drag Shuichi away from the store and steal all of his attention. Even the most impossible challenge was possible for someone as skilled as Ouma Kokichi!

“It’s getting late, isn’t it?”

When Shuichi uttered his absent-minded thought, Kokichi’s gaze wandered to the sky. The clear blue was now speckled with pillowy clouds. In the farther distance, the red simmering light made them look like candy. He decided someone should invent cloud sweets already, it was time.

“Do you… want to go somewhere else?”

Shuichi’s question finally drew him out of his thoughts. A long hum left his throat as if he were considering something. As if he was wondering if it was worth his time or how he could make this more entertaining to himself.

Truly, he didn’t want this day to end.

“Let me… surprise you.”

Surprises never meant any good. But Shuichi was foolish enough to let his curiosity betray him.

“Really…?”

“FULL HOUSE!”

Everyone sitting at the poker table either broke out in roaring laughter or angrily slammed their jugs onto the wooden table, sending liquids swapping over left and right. It smelled like sweat and the sweet stench of alcohol. Shuichi grimaced and took another look around. He had seen some shady places in town, but never before had he seen something comparable to… this. Some of these people had lost an arm or an eye, bore scars on their body, skimpy clothes or carried suspicious objects beneath their coats. If they weren’t already gambling then he’d bet his money that if he tried, he could easily get some drugs if he took the right corner. Shuichi’s only solace was that he wasn’t on his shift right now – there was no way he could arrest all these people without being beaten to death or… worse.

“Eeehh… it’s not my fault you didn’t take the risk and chose to play it safe. There’s no use in being a doormat if it’s written all over your face!”, Kokichi barely evaded a glass aimed straight at his head, though even this didn’t seem to ruin his good mood. Rugged strangers started furiously discussing the best strategies to play poker now and Kokichi leaned closer to whisper into Shuichi’s ear.

“Did you notice that…?”

 A subtle gaze flicked towards Kokichi’s lap. Shuichi followed it and saw the rigged card caught between the prankster’s fingers, before he swiftly stuck it back to the underside of the table.

“He was trying to reach for it and realised that… he’s sitting on the wrong side of the table, wasn’t he?”, Shuichi murmured and scooted a little closer to him so no one could make out his words. What he didn’t expect however, was for Kokichi to turn his face towards him.

Their shoulders bumped into each other and their proximity made Shuichi’s heart jump. Their faces were so close, he swore he could feel Kokichi’s hot breath tickle his skin. Both were caught in the other’s intense, longing gaze as the air between them was buzzing with tension. It was so tempting, so close… Kokichi’s mischievous, yet alluring smile beckoned him closer. Closer to these soft, rosy lips he dreamed of kissing at night.

“Oi! This ain’t a meet-up for gay guys, get yourself a room!”, both of them got abruptly torn out of their trance as one of the other players growled at Kokichi to continue with his turn. The trickster immediately perked up in his seat with a bright grin on his lips and grabbed his cards as if he had totally not forgotten how to play the game.

“On it! Sowwy sowwy, I haven’t seen my beloved boyfriend in two months now.”

“Quit whining, my wife hasn’t shown up in three!”

“Man, are you okay?”

The round collectively started getting upset about partners suddenly vanishing into thin air, with Kokichi being the loudest contributor. If it weren’t for the fact that he had just called Shuichi his _boyfriend_ as a farce, then he would probably call him out on projecting. After all, _he_ vanished for two months.

Besides, they weren’t together or associated in any similar way. It was just… an exception. A coincidence? No… Shuichi wasn’t sure what this was anymore. What was he even doing? Acting like nothing was between them for a day… acting as if they weren’t enemies.

As soon as this day came to an end, his only goal would be to put him in shackles once more. It had always been like that. And even if not…

…he knew Kokichi took joy in their heists more than anything.

Icy fingertips trailed shivers down his spine as the cold night air embraced him. Shuichi had wondered about so many things. Did he actually prefer black over strawberry? Did Kokichi even care? Did he only pretend to be interested in the same books as him or was their taste so similar? He had observed so much. The way he’d smile at him brightly whenever Shuichi got excited, the way his hearty laughter chimed like bells when he had tricked Shuichi once more. It was the oddities that struck him as interesting. Kokichi was skilled at handling knives, yet never used violence. Kokichi was skilled at gambling yet had rotten luck. Kokichi was perfect at acting as if he were drinking alcohol but never touched a single drop – was it the flavour, or to remain in charge of the situation? Did he plan everything ahead or not? Who was he, anyway?

“Geez, Shumai’s getting distracted again! Are you really that eager to go home? If you keep doing that, I’ll get bored too.”

“Ah…”

The complaint tore him out of his confusing stream of thoughts. Moonlight drew shadows over Kokichi’s face, yet made his eyes glisten all the more brightly. His skin was pale as paper and he seemed upset. Shuichi’s gut told him this was genuine.

“Sorry. I guess I was stuck thinking about… well, everything.”

Abruptly, Kokichi stopped walking. Shuichi halted his slow pace as well and turned to look at the other. Parks were devoid of people at night, so no living soul wandered the same path as them. Surrounded by bushes, flowers and tall trees, the leafage casted dark silhouettes over the scenery. Shuichi shivered in the cold night air. Only the yellowish light of a lantern allowed him to make out the details of Kokichi’s face – one that was blank and devoid of emotion as if he were searching for something.

“Is… something the matter?”, He inquired and cursed the slim trail of anxiety bleeding into his voice. Had he upset him too much? Was he mad? There was no way to tell, yet Kokichi’s stare bore mercilessly into his body.

“Amuse me. What would you say if I said… that I didn’t _want_ to see you for the past two months?”

Shuichi’s eyes widened. He felt a familiar pang of pain. A sharp, thin needle to his heart. Fears he had tried to hurriedly cover with worries for Kokichi’s safety bubbled up and broke through like a soaring volcano in the darkness of the night. Shuichi pressed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. Calm yourself, steadily. _Focus on the question._

“Or would that be too harsh of a truth even for you to handle?”, Kokichi kept pressing the issue when he didn’t receive an immediate reply. Was that impatience? He was used to the thief’s mind games, he knew how brilliant of a polished diamond the thief was when it came to reading people, analysing them. Nonetheless… didn’t he know the answer? Or did he take pleasure in him answering? Or was it something else…?

“No. Well… no, it’s not like that.” Shuichi shook his head. He sought out Kokichi’s gaze and continued to speak with sincerity. “But… I was worried. I know you travel to other places on occasion, even if I don’t know why… but you always come back, don’t you, Ouma-kun? You’ve never disappeared longer than a month before. I couldn’t find a single trace of you.” It was part of his job to follow every single one of his movements. It was part of his feelings to get worried if he disappeared without a trace.

It hit him, suddenly. When he had laid his fingers upon the letter, Shuichi’s breath had hitched when he recognised his handwriting. Scratchy letters were scribbled on blank paper with hidden emotion between the lines, which he’d like to encrypt like a foreign language. Kokichi’s language in fact, it told him everything and nothing. Ambiguity was the key word here.

Yet somehow, in between all the mayhem he caused… there was a red thread hidden beneath, waiting to be unravelled. Shuichi wanted to be the one who did the job and he wanted to do it right – no unfounded accusations, no jumping to conclusions – just the truth. The truth of what Ouma Kokichi was. That was… what truly moved him and always kept drawing him near.

“I missed you.”

It clumsily stumbled from his lips. He steeled his nerves and took a deep breath.

“I missed you, Ouma-kun. I know I should never even consider saying this, but… I’ve never had so much fun in my life.” Shuichi didn’t let the heat that slowly rose to his face deter him. He steadily pushed on. “When I started helping my uncle at the detective agency, I never wanted to become a detective. It somehow just… happened, although I didn’t like it. But when I met you, I learned a lot of things. The world isn’t black and white, the law isn’t always just and criminals aren’t always bad… lies aren’t worth less than the truth.”

Kokichi pursed his lips and caused Shuichi to halt. His breathing stopped momentarily and the tension emanating from the thief was strong enough to crush him if it were to break. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Pfft ha…ahaha…ah-hahaha! Wow, Saihara-chan! I’ve never heard such an amazing joke in my entire life! But, that’s a lie. London’s most famous, beloved detective missed _me?_ London’s famous Phantom Thief!? I haven’t come all this way just to end up in one of the cheesy throw-away romance novels you hide under your bed.”

“W-wait, what?”

“Whatever! I don’t care”, Kokichi sharply cut him off with an ice cold smile. The tipper tapper of his feet quickly grew heavy with confidence as he spread his arm in an exuberant gesture and his face twisted into a high and mighty smirk. A spark of challenge shone brightly in his eyes, mocking him, ridiculing him.

“Saihara-chan’s so naive! Haven’t you thought about it? I thought you were starting to understand me, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. My… did you fall on your head as a kid? Because…”

Close. He was so _close._ One step closer and their bodies would be touching. But the shorter the distance grew, the heavier the pressure on Shuichi’s chest, threatening to crush his ribs to dust. Kokichi brought a finger to his lips and it became hard not to back off.

“…because there’s no _way_ the one who’s said to be my match… is actually that much of an _idiot_.”

Glistening metal reflected moonlight as the blade rushed towards his throat. Before he could react, Kokichi had skipped the remaining distance and Shuichi felt the cold edge of his knife against the burning hot skin of his neck. His body jolted and he raised his chin high, a shiver rattling his bones. There was a choice, he could step away. The path behind him was clear and empty. No matter how many times he was confronted with this terrifying feeling… it didn’t lose an ounce of the unnerving fear inside him. And yet…

“You had the prime chance to arrest me. Only a true _loser_ would pass on an opportunity to put me behind bars. Were all of your determination and those wacky speeches of yours a lie? You sure are a sucky detective if you’re ready to get trapped and murdered by a criminal like me.”

“You’d never hurt me.”

“Excuse me?”

Shuichi felt the blade inch closer to his skin and swallowed thickly. With a deep breath, he fuelled the fire inside of him and met Kokichi’s glare head on with determination.

“Ouma-kun would never hurt me. Because you hate violence, don’t you? Even before the last time we met, I knew. You have… never left a scar on my neck and even when it would be far more convenient, you always avoid to harm others. You’re a phantom thief, not a murderer. That’s why… I know you don’t want to hurt me.”

A blank slate marked Kokichi’s face. In the dim light of the lantern, his features stood out much sharper than they usually did, and his eyes were wide, as if to devour his existence whole. This time, Shuichi was the prey. They had switched roles.

“Saihara-chan’s a naive fool. Aren’t you scared? Obviously, you know that just because I haven’t done it yet… I won’t strike when you least expect it.”

“Despite going out of your way to spend the day with me?”

“…nishishi.”

“…?”

Kokichi’s aura twisted. The shadows drew near and casted darkness over his face, one disturbing enough to make the strongest person alive recoil. Only the white of his eyes and his bared teeth harshly contrasted it and caused a shiver to run down Shuichi’s spine. What was going on…? Then, it slowly dawned on him… was this all a-

“Ah-haha! That sure took you long to realise, huh? Geez, for a second I thought you forgot your brains at home. Or did you sell them already to pay your rent?”

“Wait… what? What are you going on about?” Confusion marked his speech and Shuichi furrowed his brows in irritation.

“Saihara-chan walked right into my trap.”

Kokichi batted his eyelashes at him in innocence. The grasp around his knife grew loose, but still remained uncomfortably close to his throat.

“My, did you _seriously_ not realise you were nothing more than a boytoy for me to play with? Nishishi, Shumai’s so dumb, it’s almost adorable.”

“Ouma-kun. Get to the point.”

Kokichi’s icy smile remained frozen solid for a long second, before he skipped ahead and answered his question.

“Dont’cha think it’s much more fun to give this cheesy, cheap romance novel a way more interesting plot twist? London’s most famous detective who falls in love with the phantom thief, who seemingly reciprocates his feelings… but _then!_ ”

Kokichi’s free hand clutched his own heart for dramatic effect. He was an actor standing on an invisible stage and this was the show he had orchestrated.

“Oopsie doopsie! Seems like everyone’s beloved detective got fooled. The thief was lying all along and only did as he pleased. All so his worst enemy…”, Kokichi’s voice dipped low into dangerous territory, “…would lose his urge to catch him.”

Shuichi gasped and caused the thief to cackle in mockery. No… that couldn’t be it, right? His deductions so far were always correct. There were countless variables, statements and actions he couldn’t evaluate yet, but he had been so sure this was the _truth_. That he wanted to see him… that their feelings were equal. This strange, enthralling urge to find each other out, try to capture each other’s essence. Who was he, anyway?

Who was… Ouma Kokichi anyway?

Kokichi’s laughter shrilled in his ears and made him grimace. No, it wasn’t supposed to be this way. Something was terribly wrong. Shuichi felt himself devoured by spiralling, terrifying emotions and that was never a way to approach his detective work. Reminding himself to clear his mind, he took a deep breath and considered the facts.

He noticed something.

“Then… why would you ever reveal that to me?”

“Huh? Why not? Isn’t it just fun to watch you writhe in complicated feelings?”

“…maybe so. But that makes everything you said just now useless.” Shuichi had cupped his chin in thought and only realised now that Kokichi had lowered his knife completely. It was still resting in the firm grasp of his hand, ready to spring into action at any second. But momentarily, the dangerous spell casted upon him was lifted and he was going to use his chance. The thief’s sullen expression told him to continue.

“No, you… just proved my point, in fact. If you wanted to eliminate me as your enemy, killing me or rendering me unable to chase you would be your best option. Trying to… seduce me would be much harder. Besides…” _Ah._ His intuition reaffirmed him that he had hit a turning point. “Why reveal all this to me if it was your secret masterplan to win against me? Now that I know, there’s no way I’m going to fall for your trap.”

Kokichi’s retort was immediate: “I don’t get why you’re so sure about that. I feel offended, I’m a great actor!”

“Yes, but… doesn’t that depend on how I feel for you? If that really was your plan, then… you’d have to be sure of my feelings for you before you could dare to reveal this to me. Then, why did you ask me about them in the first place? You seemed, ah… quite eager to get my reply. If this has been your plan all along, that contradicts… _everything_ you’ve done so far.”

“Are we done overanalysing the situation? I’m getting kind of bored here.”

Shuichi uttered a deep sigh. _Don’t let him unnerve you. He likes pushing you around._

“What I’m trying to say is...” Shuichi’s earnest aura mellowed as he rested a hand on his chest where his heart was beating in nervous excitement. “…I trust you. Even if all my detective work is wrong, even if you’ve deceived me from the beginning… I believe in my own deductions. If you lie about everything I’ve said, you’re trying to deny proof and… that’s impossible, even for someone like you. Even if all of this was wrong… I trust you, Ouma-kun. You can’t change the truth.”

Silence hung heavy between them. It was a grave weight upon his shoulders, but Shuichi bore it quietly, awaiting Kokichi’s final reply. Slowly… something changed. The thief closed his switchblade with a click and swiftly made it disappear in his pocket, before he started to move.

Suddenly, their bodies were even closer. A gasp broke past Shuichi’s lips as he felt the warm sensation of Kokichi’s hands on his chest, supporting himself so he could get on the tip of his toes. Dark, purple strands tickled his neck and his eyes widened as he felt the gentle caress of two lips against his cheek. Their warmth lingered on his skin and kindled a softness within him that was hard to describe.

After a long moment, Kokichi rocked back on his feet. With his palms still resting on the detective’s body, Shuichi felt his face quickly turn beet red. His heart pounded against his ribcage when he spotted the soft tinge of pink on Kokichi’s cheeks and their gazes remained locked.

“Ouma-kun…”

“No matter how hard I try to escape… your grasp is always somewhere on my body. Maybe… Shumai and I are destined to chase each other forever”, A gentle smile danced on his lips, one that resonated within Shuichi’s very core. “…don’t you think?”

Thoughts rushed through his mind. His own words came crashing down on him, emotions he had repressed all the while excitedly bubbling up in Shuichi’s stomach. Had they just discussed and analysed if they had feelings for each other or not? Romantic ones? Ones that meant that they were connected by a red thread of fate…? _I’m starting to feel dizzy. What am I supposed to say now...?_

“Pfft haha! Hello, earth to Saihara-chan~! I know I’ve probably blown your mind, but you’re not perhaps forgetting that I’m still your mortal enemy, right?”

Kokichi jumped a step back and shot him a challenging, mischievous smirk.

“Wait… what? Ouma-kun, I didn’t even reply yet-“

“Whatever, I don’t care! If you really want to tell me something, you’ll have to catch me first. Otherwise it’s time to say _bonne nuit!_ ” Kokichi abruptly spun on his heels and faster than his eyes could catch, he rushed down the path ahead of them.

“Ah, wait! Dammit, Ouma-kun! I’m not going to let you escape again!”, his bold declaration rang throughout the night as he started running through the darkness, hurrying after the thief as fast as his feet would carry him.

“Try me, detective! You’ll never catch me alive!”

“T-that’s worrisome, stop that!”

“Nishishi~!”

Within one day, everything had changed. Yet nothing was different, for they were still playing cat and mouse until late into the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading if you made it so far!
> 
> I went stupid and wrote this entire thing in a day and edited it in an hour, but honestly... I enjoyed myself tons while writing so I ain't gonna be that nitpicky about this. Though I do see some aspects I'd like to improve, so maybe I'll edit a lil someday.
> 
> Either way, this AU offers such an amazing dynamic and I had this idea for a while now... so I finally decided to write it out!
> 
> I hope I made you smile like a ray of sunshine. Have a lovely day!


End file.
